Since 1977, Miguel Mejio and his family have owned Pizza Beat restaurant in Yonkers. Now nearly 50 years late, Mejio has opened his second restaurant, this time in Briarcliff Manor. Although the road from Central Park Avenue in Yonkers to North State Road in Briarcliff was a long time coming, the response from the local residents has been so positive that Miguel already feels right at home.
Pizza Beat Briarcliff, which opened in February 2023, is in a small strip of stores and occupies a space that was also a pizza place before they took over. “Many people didn’t even know there was a pizzeria in this location until we purchased it,” said Mejio. “But the word is getting out and we see many new people every day.”
In addition to over twenty varieties of pizza by the slice or pie including gluten-free options, Pizza Beat features a full menu of Southern Italian specialties, wraps, salads and pastas. “We’ve been preparing traditional Southern middle Italian cuisine for over 50 years and are excited to bring Pizza Beat to a wider audience,” Mejio told River Journal.
Having never visited Pizza Beat but with a small gathering at our home to celebrate three recent graduates, we ordered what we thought were a few safe choices including pizzas, veal dishes (scarpariello and francese), chicken parmigiana, a baked lasagna and a couple of salads. Every one of the dishes were cooked to perfection and the pizza was some of the best we’ve had locally. But what surprised many of our guests was looking at the menu that we brought home and seeing the full breadth of what the restaurant offers. Pizza Beat doesn’t nearly describe what the restaurant offers. Several of our friends told us they went back later that week to try more of the Italian specialties and were not disappointed.
Mejio told River Journal he chose Briarcliff for his second location after considering many other locales. But he says he’s not done yet. “We want to expand our horizons and bring Pizza Beat to more place around New York,” he said. For those in the surrounding environs, let’s hope it doesn’t take another 50 years for the next Pizza Beat grand opening.
549 N. State Road, Briarcliff Manor
914-762-2039
